Rising Cork trio Rowan are off to an explosive start with their visceral new single “Irish To My Bones,” and its accompanying video, off of from their debut album, Does It Make You Happy? announced today. The 12-track LP is due out May 6, 2022 via Los Angeles-based label, Beverly Martel.
Thundering, cutthroat riffs set the scene, with vocalist Dylan Howe’s aspirational yells against stereotypical Irish stigma at the forefront. Check out the video below.
“Irish To My Bones” was written to pierce the modern perspective of suppression and shame, brought on by generational trauma in Ireland” explain the trio. “We have yet to break the mold on what history has given us, but there is great hope in today’s world, with the efforts that are being put in place to eliminate the stigmas of yesterday.”
It’s the first release of the year for Rowan, following the endearing “Youth & Youthhood” and the energetic “One Of These Days” which were championed by the likes of Steve Lamacq & Lauren Laverne at 6 Music.
Born out of the early pandemic last year, when the three accomplished musicians were forced into a hiatus from recording music, Rowan are quickly becoming one of the most exciting new Irish acts around.
With a wealth of material written over the years, the first group of songs Rowan released were delicate, longing and beautiful – culminating in their independently released, debut EP, No One Is Safe Here. Full of longing, escapism and a desire to be somewhere else, the songs were inspired by Howe’s “various struggles with mental health” as he used art to “try and get the bad stuff out. It’s like therapy,” he explains.
Rowan then signed to Beverly Martel with last year’s EP, Everybody Talks, their first imprint with the LA label. Instant earworms with cinematic videos such as “Nothing’s Gonna Change” & “One Of These Days” put the band on the map in Ireland and beyond.
Fast forward to 2022, the stage is set for Rowan, who teamed up with producer Tim Palmer (U2, Pearl Jam, James) for their superb debut album Does It Make You Happy?. Keep your eyes and ears out for more music from the band in the coming weeks.